Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) said on Tuesday that he would release six years of tax returns.
The decision follows a request by the Boston Globe asking both candidates to release six years of their tax returns. The campaign of Elizabeth Warren, Brown's likely Democratic challenger and a Harvard Law professor, had said that she would release two years of returns if Brown did the same. On Friday, Warren said that if Brown released more than two years, she would consider releasing additional years.
Warren also said Friday that she had paid Massachusetts' 5.3 percent flat state income tax rate as opposed to the voluntary 5.85 percent rate offered to taxpayers. The Brown campaign attacked this action as hypocritical since Warren supports millionaires paying higher taxes. Brown also paid the 5.3 percent rate, though.
The decision puts a spotlight on the differences in approach taken by two Massachusetts Republicans being advised by Eric Fehrnstrom, Brown and Mitt Romney. The former Massachusetts governor released his 2010 tax return only after intense public pressure and has filed for an extension in completing his 2011 taxes. The Romney campaign said it will release the full income tax return sometime before mid-October.
Update: 1:45 p.m. --
Warren's campaign responded to Brown's announcement with an emailed statement noting that she would release four years of returns.
"Elizabeth Warren has been clear from the beginning that she would voluntarily release her tax returns and she is glad to see that Republican Senator Scott Brown has finally agreed to do the same," wrote Alethea Harney, Warren's press secretary.
"Elizabeth is not a career politician like Senator Brown, but she will release her tax returns for her entire time in public service and by releasing 4 years of returns, she is providing the people of Massachusetts with a transparent and full accounting of her financial situation," she added.
"Senator Brown has said he would release his returns on Friday afternoon -- a typical Washington game of releasing bad news when there is traditionally little news coverage. Elizabeth thinks we should be more straightforward and make both returns available tomorrow," Harney stated.
Update: 3 p.m. --
The Brown campaign hit back against Warren's announcement of plans to release four years of tax returns -- as opposed to the six years of returns that Brown intends to offer. "It doesn't take a Harvard Law degree to see through Elizabeth Warren's game of cat and mouse and know she has something to hide," said Jim Barnett, Brown's campaign manager, in a statement.
"Whether she is concealing other big corporate clients like Travelers Insurance, which paid her enormous sums to fight against victims of asbestos poisoning, covering up sketchy financial transactions, or simply masking that she may take advantage of tax breaks she criticizes others for, Warren's nuanced refusal to disclose the tax years 2006 and 2007 exposes her hypocrisy when it comes to transparency in government," Barnett added.
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The Huffington Post | By Luke Johnson Posted: 04/24/2012 10:51 am Updated: 04/24/2012 5:54 pm